John Amos, famend for his function because the stoic father in Good Instances and because the older Kunta Kinte in Alex Haley’s iconic mini-series Roots, has died on the age of 84. His son, Kelly Christopher Amos, confirmed that his father handed away from pure causes in Los Angeles on August 21.
In a heartfelt assertion, Kelly expressed his sorrow, saying, “It’s with heartfelt disappointment that I share with you that my father has transitioned. He was a person with the kindest coronary heart and a coronary heart of gold, liked by many around the globe. For numerous followers, he was their TV father. He lived a superb life, and his legacy will endure via his exceptional contributions to tv and movie.”
Amos initially launched into a soccer profession, having performed at Colorado State College and tried out for the Denver Broncos and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. His transition to appearing started along with his function as WJN-TV weatherman Gordy Howard on The Mary Tyler Moore Present.
After 4 profitable seasons on the early Nineteen Seventies comedy, Amos auditioned for the function of James Evans Sr. on CBS’s Good Instances. The present, which aired from 1974 to 1979, was developed by Eric Monte and Mike Evans in collaboration with Norman Lear. It was notable for being the primary sitcom centered on a Black American household, following the groundbreaking format of All within the Household.
Throughout his three seasons on Good Instances, set in Chicago’s internal metropolis, Amos grew annoyed with the present’s deal with stereotypical storylines, significantly regarding J.J. Evans, portrayed by comic Jimmie Walker. His public criticisms led to his departure from the present.
“We had various variations,” Amos mirrored in a 2014 interview with the TV Academy Basis. “I felt an excessive amount of emphasis was positioned on J.J. in his hen hat, shouting ‘Dy-no-mite!’ each third web page. I believed there was a lot extra to discover with my different two youngsters—one aspiring to be a supreme court docket justice and the opposite, a future surgeon.”
In the end, Amos’s character was killed off in a two-part episode that marked the start of the present’s fourth season in September 1976. In that very same interview, he grew to become emotional recalling how males from numerous backgrounds would strategy him, saying, “You’re the dad I by no means had.”
Following Good Instances, Amos was solid as a congressman within the pilot for a present referred to as Onward and Upward, however he left that challenge as properly. Quickly after, he was solid in Roots, the acclaimed 1977 ABC mini-series. “It was simply what I wanted,” he mentioned of the function. “It took the dangerous style of Good Instances out of my mouth.”
Amos described Roots as “a vindication, an amazing feeling of satisfaction.”
His tv profession additionally included recurring roles on The Recent Prince of Bel-Air as Will Smith’s stepfather, in addition to appearances in Hunter, The District, Males in Bushes, All Concerning the Andersons, and the Netflix collection The Ranch. He additionally appeared in movies resembling The World’s Best Athlete, Die Laborious 2, and Coming to America 2.
